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Wabco Launches Modular Braking System, Signs 2 Major Supply Deals

Wabco Holdings has launched what it claims is an industry-first modular braking system platform, or mBSP , and says it has signed supply agreements with two global commercial vehicle manufacturers headquartered in Europe.

The mBSP product enables its customers with international operations to interchangeably equip their trucks and buses with anti-lock or electronic braking systems based on regional market or regulatory requirements worldwide, the company said.

The product features a high degree of standardization across components and software of its ABS and EBS systems, Wabco said, and reduces the number of ABS components by 50%. With mBSP, vehicle manufacturers can significantly reduce development, installation and software testing time, accelerate communizing their diverse vehicle types globally, and bring new trucks and buses to market faster.

Wabco mBSP also accommodates the integration of a customer’s own software and braking functions, the company said. ABS and EBS components use the same mountings and connections on a vehicle, whether “value-based” or premium truck and bus models.

“As the industry leader for innovation in braking systems, Wabco is the first to present a game-changing modular braking system offering a high degree of flexibility and scalability for trucks and buses globally,” said Jacques Esculier, Wabco’s chairman and CEO.

“We are proud to launch a ‘plug-and-play’ solution that can also efficiently accommodate customized functionality from vehicle makers for their diverse vehicle platforms.”

Wabco said it recently closed deals for mBSP with two Europe-based commercial vehicle manufacturers, and one of them represents the single largest deal in Wabco history.

It will provide mBSP with ABS and EBS applications for the customer to equip its next generation of trucks and buses. About 450,000 will be manufactured in Europe, North America, Brazil and India from 2017 through 2021.

Wabco said it will provide EBS for the second customer’s range of commercial vehicles from 2018 through 2022. Ultimately, Wabco will furnish approximately 175,000 of this customer’s new trucks with EBS, mostly for Europe. Wabco announced the incremental business associated with both contracts in April.